Fake Palindromes
by LostMyPen
Summary: What's scarier than a horde of Reavers? Maybe the Alliance had an ace up their sleeve all along. post-BDM, crew-centric.
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer**: don't own Firefly or the characters. This is all for fun._

_**Notes**: this story is rated T. Please be mindful of this._

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* * *

  
_

You see a building.

Rising up from a desert landscape, it sits alone, sand blowing in lazy circles and ringing off the dirty windows. If you happened to look in its direction at the right time of day, glints of silver would pierce you in the eye. So you'd look closer; see the long, slender antennas rising up from the building's roof.

Not so odd, considering this forlorn outskirt planet used to house Alliance medical facilities and science experiments and classified, redacted things you shouldn't know about. What Iis/I odd, you'd think, raising a leathery hand to cover your eyes from the sun, is that small ship, landing near the building. Gosh, nobody's been down here in over six years.

Ship's kicking up sand like crazy. So you rise from your rickety lawn chair. Pick up your as-of-yet unused shotgun. You've been hired to watch this place for a long time for a lot of money, and though you figure this free-ride of a job is about to end and here are the people to come and excuse you, you'd at least better be looking like you've been guarding your damn best.

The ramp lowers, and as you wait for the people to come, you think about how interested you were, back when you were first hired, to know why the hell Alliance wanted any damn body watching this building. And sure, you'd been wanting to go inside, c'mon who wouldn't, but that was rule numero uno, from the beginning, under no circumstance sir, are you to go in there-- and _zu zhòu zhī_, you hadn't! Shut that curiosity up, continually thought about how much platinum you were getting, and made the daily trip back to the outpost you and wifey were allowed to set up fifteen miles from here.

Black suits appear, languidly making their way down the ramp's slope. You notice the silly blue gloves and barely resist the urge to roll your eyes. Typical Alliance, wearing somethin' like that. Scared of germs from the third-worldies.

"_Ni hao_!" you call with a raised hand. They don't acknowledge you, not much of a surprise, but what is sort of interesting is how they suddenly break apart from each other. They don't say a word, one just turns and heads for the building and the other continues straight for you.

Now you're an old man, you've lived through a lot and experienced almost everything there is to experience, so right now you _know_, you can feel it from the tips of your wrinkly fingers down to your yellowy unclipped toenails, this ain't gonna end right.

"Hey sir," you try, voice betraying you and coming out shaky and stupid, "sir, you'd just better stop where you are and throw me some identification!"

The guy smiles, getting closer with every step, completely ignoring the fact that you have a twelve-gauge aimed right at his face. And now he's pulling something from an inner pocket of his jacket. You point the gun down at the rapidly decreasing space between you and the other man's feet, pulling the trigger.

The gun shot cracks loudly through the desert valley, echoing back and making you flinch, but the guy keeps coming. Keeps coming and now he's holding out a pen?

You're confused, but before you can raise your gun back up the pen elongates. Yep, it lengthens, and then you- _Oh xīn kǔ! My god the pain_--

And suddenly, you're not worried about much anymore at all.

* * *

He replaces the device in his suit jacket, watching benignly as the old man falls to his knobby knees, clutching at his bleeding head. Bleeding eyes, bleeding ears.

He doesn't wait any longer; he turns, making his way back down the hill and into the building.

They don't stay long, but it's long enough for the computers and machines housed inside to buzz and hum into life. And when the planet's sun falls, the lights of the building illuminate the landscape through the windows. Near the end of their visit, one of the men makes his way to the roof. It doesn't seem to bother him that it's too dark to see; it doesn't matter. He quickly makes his way over to a control panel, tucked in the corner, hidden from the planet's weather. Hands flying quickly over the keys, inputting whatever information he's inputting.

A loud whirring, grinding noise emits from the building. The man steps back from the control panel.

Suddenly, sparks of electricity are flying antenna to antenna, lighting up the night sky in bursts. The currents are climbing higher and higher on the poles, growing larger with every jump. It's with a huge, thundering crack that the light reaches the highest pole, wavering and hovering before, finally, shooting off and upwards into the sky.

The other man has joined the first on top of the building. A brief exchange of words, they leave. The lights turned off, the machines shut down, the whirring silenced.

The ship makes one short stop fifteen miles away before disappearing into space.


	2. Chapter One

She soars in the dark, movements sure but languid, weaving her way through the stars. A familiar figure sits in her cockpit, but only reaches forward to adjust things every so often, more content to sit and watch the black. It is a room full of desolate and disconnected feelings.

In her cargo bay, things are much brighter.

"I got your ba_ll_, I got your ba_ll_!" her caretaker taunts with a happy grin, holding the well-worn toy high above her head as she bolts across the room.

With a laugh, River takes off after her, skirt bouncing. "But this girl had it first!"

"Yeah, but this girl don't much care!"

The big one lets the weights fall to the bar with a grunt, sits up from his work bench. He is as surprised by the sound of laughter echoing through her as The Captain. Captain is standing above, foot hooked through a bar, arms on the railing, hands clasped in front. A smile is on his face, but it seems unsure. Tentative. Ready to slide off and be overtaken by the usual empty expression at a moment's notice.

River feels it all. Doesn't need to look around to confirm. She feels it through Serenity, and she feels it in her head. Not demanding like before Miranda, no pressure. It's just there. Part of. She giggles impulsively at the liberating-ness of it all.

She catches Kaylee, and balancing on boot-clad tiptoes she gropes for the ball. "Too tall," she complains with a secret smile. Could easily jump and grab it out of her hands, she thinks, but doesn't want the game to end.

Kaylee quickly steps back, not at all fooled. And she, too, doesn't want the laughter to go away and leave. "Yeah right! Hey, think fast Cap'n!"

Mal blinks in surprise, but catches the leather-worn ball smoothly when it's tossed his way.

"Not fair, the rules clearly state two is optimum in a game of catch." River mock-pouts, hands on hips as she stares up at him.

"Ain't ya never played monkey in the middle?" Jayne says from behind them.

"Yeah well," Mal considers the ball in his hand for a moment. "We're getting' too close to Burns' drop-off point to be playin' games in here anyway." He tosses the ball back down to River, ignoring her disappointed 'but I want to be a monkey'. "Get the ship ready for a refueling Kaylee. Jayne, you need to be lookin' somewhat presentable on this planet, so..." he trails off, frowning thoughtfully.

Scowling, an ego-wounded Jayne pulls himself up from the bench. "I ain't got no suit to wear or nothin', you know that."

"Just... shower. Or something," Mal pushes himself off the railing, heading for the cockpit, throwing over his shoulder: "Get to it."

Kaylee, looking somewhat dismayed by Jayne's complained, "I just took one last week," decided to give him a wide berth on the stairs before she followed up after him.

Which left River standing alone in the cargo bay.

Which meant she was standing alone when the signal finally reached the ship.

Which meant no one saw what happened when the signal found her.

It had taken exactly three weeks, eight days, six hours and thirty-two seconds.

She gasped as the wave hit, hands tightening spasmodically on the ball still in her hands.

Overwhelming.

All encompassing.

_My brain_! she screamed in her mind,_ It's leaking_! All those wires and bolts that had been fixed, tightened, connected four months ago were jarred as the signal surged through her, over her, around and inside everything that _was_ her.

No, no, no, not jarred. Ripped out! Loosened or completely gone. Her teeth were bared, clenched; she was completely unaware that she had bit part of her tongue off, the physical meaning nothing compared to what was happening inside her.

River's legs gave up the fight and she collapsed to her knees, hair slapping her face. Neurons in her overactive brain suddenly had no dendrites to send messages, jumping into empty spaces. _Never such pain_! she thought wildly. Total incomprehension. _No experience to compare this_!

Brain fried, proverbial smoke coming from her ears, River was finally allowed to lose consciousness. Blood leaked from her mouth and ran down her chin while her body wavered uncertainly. Eventually she fell forward onto her stomach, arms loose at her side.

The ball had ten holes slashed in its sides, and it deflated quietly beside her.

* * *

Zoe was the one who found her.

Mal had dismissed her from the cockpit to ready herself for Burns, although all she really had to do was grab a gun and they both knew it. She figured Mal just wanted her up and moving around, and she didn't mind. Didn't mind much, anymore.

Boots ringing loudly on the metal walkway, an aimless sort of walk. She glanced down at the cargo bay as she made her way past, almost not seeing the crumpled figure near the mule. It was only on double-take that she finally registered River.

"Captain!" she called both over her shoulder and through her comm, "River's..." and she paused because, well, she wasn't really sure _what _River was. As she ran down the stairs, she settled with, "Injured. Unconscious in the cargo bay."

She reached the girl, taking in the scene. Unconscious. Limbs sprawled. No good. Had she tried jumping from the catwalk?

She'd just kneeled down to carefully check her for a pulse when both Mal and Kaylee arrived from different sides of the ship.

"Oh!" Kaylee cried as she got near, hand over her mouth. "Oh no! What happened?"

"Don't quite know," Zoe answered, "just found her like this." She felt a fast pulse. Very fast, very sporadic. "We need a stretcher, and a brace."

Kaylee nodded, and bounded towards the medbay. She was back in less than a minute.

Zoe put on the brace as best she could, and when she started moving the limp body onto the stretcher, Mal knelt down to help. She didn't really need the help; girl was light as a feather, but Mal's face was dark and she didn't comment.

Then, and she hadn't even thought it possible, his face grew darker as he picked something up from the floor.

Kaylee piped up from behind them, sounding confused, "What is--"

"Tongue," Mal answered shortly.

Zoe couldn't help a sharp intake of breath, and Kaylee made an almost whimpering sort of sound. She looked back down at River, examining her hairline closely for any source of blood, wondering if the small pool of it had all come from mouth. "Should take her down to the infirmary now--"

Mal was already fixing to move in a better position to hold the stretcher.

"Hey!" Jayne's voice suddenly called down from above, "what are ya'll looking at?" he asked, wet hair stuck down to his head, towel wrapped around his waist. "The mousetrap finally catch somethin'?"

Kaylee shook her head when the others ignored him, busy lifting the stretcher.

"_Ta ma de_, what happened to crazy?" Jayne demanded, watching them go. "We still goin' to Burns, though, right? I didn't get all washed up for nothing'."

"'Course we are," Kaylee answered, wringing her hands in front of her. Her eyes kept flicking back to the drops of blood on the floor. "Still have to pick up Simon and Inara, don't we? Oh, Jayne what about Simon? _Biǎo shì jīnɡ yà_! He put up such a fuss 'bout leavin' in the first place, he's gonna' be so upset!"

"'Suppose," Jayne replied mildly from above, not much caring about how the doctor would react or any of the young man's feelings in general. He was much more bothered by the fact that their job with Burns might be postponed. Lots of platinum was promised to be had. Or now, to be lost. "_Hu dong _girl," he grumbled, starting back down the catwalk for his quarters, "always makin' trouble for us."

Kaylee barely heard him, still worrying over Simon. Her thoughts had taken a selfish turn too, but unlike Jayne, who it wouldn't even occur to feel badly about such things, she did. She was helpless to stop, though. Things had been going so good for them, her and Simon. Still were! And she couldn't help but hope this wouldn't affect the relationship they'd taken so long to build together. Hoped he wouldn't start obsessing over his sister again. River had gotten much better over the months, gaining a healthy relationship with the world. And in turn, her brother had gained a much healthier relationship with her.

Heck, Kaylee'd really thought River _had_ made the turn for the better, still a little odd with the mind-reading and the crazy Operative-like-skills, but still... She bit her lip, looking off in the direction of the infirmary.

Sighing, Kaylee was about to return to the engine room when her eyes fell on the remains of River's leather ball. Scooping it up, she surveyed and counted the ten little holes, wondering how...? What...? before it clicked in her mind.

_Wǒ de shén_, she thought, holding it tight against her chest, thinking of the strength that must have taken. Found herself wondering, for the millionth time, what in the verse the Alliance had done to the girl.

* * *

_tbc..._


	3. Chapter Two

Thanks for the review Riona! I think the ending of Serenity showed that River was on a path towards a sort of "recovery". I'm glad you think the story is well-written!

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Thoughts flitted through, none belonging to her. Others.

They: confused; worried; annoyed; sad; satisfied.

Who is am I this person?!.

He? She? _It?_

Am I nothing? was one thought her devastatingly wounded brain managed to complete. Eventually followed up with, Am I everything?

She didn't know it, but a war was being waged in her head. A new being, who had been created by the wave, by the signal, was trying to get River to disconnect. To let go of herself. Confuse her into thinking it was the right thing to do.

Yes, you are everything, it said, leeching and sinking into the unoccupied portions of River's thoughts. The parts of her still frozen in pain-shock, vulnerable for the taking.

River thought about that for awhile, just like it wanted her to. Completely unaware that the essence of _she_ was being taken away and assimilated piece by piece. She was being digested by a great and evil plant, roots growing stronger every passing moment.

Then... I am all.

The plant paused in its work. It had been growing more confident, no longer caring if River had detected its presence, but... River's single thought was full of power; a bright, blinding light through the fog of her confusion, much stronger then any of her other ones had been.

The plant worried now, sunk back again into hiding.

Not so worried that it didn't continue where it left off, but much more carefully. Slower. More delicate in the way it pierced unused brain with its many vines, affixing them to itself in the same careful way a spider wraps its paralyzed prey.

Yes, it decided quietly, I want to be unknown now.

It even allowed River to wake up.

* * *

"She's waking up," Zoe announced. She had been staring at the monitors, lost in thought, but quickly coming back to herself when the lines wavered and changed.

Simon was immediately at his sister's side, both hands wrapped around one of hers, leaning close. "River? River, if you can hear me, just blink. Don't try to talk, your tongue is still healing."

River blinked, but Zoe didn't think it was because of Simon's request. Her eyes were glassy, and they didn't seem to be focused on anything, she doubted if River had even heard him.

"River is doubted," River said with a lisp, eyes closing again.

"Oh _mei mei,_ please don't talk," Simon said, torn between his joy at seeing her finally awake and his annoyance that she'd ignored him, "the bonding I used should have it fixed in two days, so you need to be care--"

_Talk this way, _River's voice suddenly whispered. Whispered in their_ heads. _Zoe stared in shock, then her hand flew to her comm, requesting the captain's immediate presence in the infirmary please. Simon's reaction was significantly less thought-out, rearing back from his sister in surprise and saying, "What? What? Another thing? _What?"_

River's eyes slid back shut, and _Another thing, yes,_ echoed in both their heads.

_

* * *

  
_

"I knew it was a bad idea to go! I should have been here! I could have--"

"You could have what?" Mal asked, standing at the end of a full table in the galley. "Seems to me like there was nothing' any of us coulda' done. You heard her just as well as I did. Said she'd collapsed and couldn't explain why."

"Heard her _in my head! _Telepathically!" Simon exploded. River, who was seated next to him, jerked in surprise.

"Just makes it easier to hear her," Mal replied calmly, allowing the young man the outburst, "and are you really surprised about this? _Shi, _girl can already do so many weird and unexplainable-like things, this just seems a natural progression."

There was a general feeling of agreement at the table at Mal's keen deduction. Simon looked unimpressed and didn't bother to dignify it with a response. "I'd hoped she she was getting better. Besides, there's nothing natural about biting off your own tongue and falling into a coma."

"Well, it was a short coma 'least," Kaylee said with forced brightness after a pause.

"And only the tipa' her tongue," Jayne added with a grin, picking at dirt in his nails with a short knife.

Simon thought murderous thoughts in the mercenary's direction, but didn't reply. Wasn't going to be baited. He looked back to Mal. "And she's talking oddly, and before you say 'it's in my head so of course it sounds odd', I get that, _but..._" he looked over at River. It had been a while since he'd spoken about her like she wasn't even in the room, but she was giving no indication of hearing him or caring. "It's different."

"I agree," Zoe said. She had the group's attention. Zoe didn't talk much in meetings anymore, so when she did, everyone listened. Mal in particular.

"She's more..." she paused, pursing her lips. "Fragmented, I guess. If that's even the word I mean."

Simon was nodding gratefully, "Yes, exactly, that's what I was trying to say, and--"

"And she's jumpin' in our thoughts more'n she used to," Zoe finished.

Lots of uncomfortable shifting met this comment. It was true. In the last day and a half since River had been released from the infirmary, she'd been stopping people in the halls to "tell" them exactly what they were thinking. Tell them what they were on their way to do. Even more bothersome, she'd been telling people what _other_ people were doing and thinking.

Particularly inconvenient for Mal, who'd had to hear some very, very explicit details about Inara, who was still out on the job, and wouldn't be back for another day or so. And that they'd come from little River's mouth...

He grimaced mentally at the memory. "Yeah, yeah, that's true. Gonna' have to school her about that, Simon."

"Yes I will 'school' her about it," he said, extremely annoyed by that remark. There were a few more pressing matters on his list of concerns at the moment. "Although I'm hoping that it's just her way of dealing with this new... I don't know exactly what to call it. Ability? I'm sorry she's being _rude_ in the mean time but once she gets used her sudden onset_ telepathic abilities, _she'll stop. I think."

"Yeah well, I don't know 'bout anyone else but, I ain't entirely comfortable with the fact that she even has the 'telepathic ability' to get in here," Jayne said, tapping his head with the broad side of his knife.

"Doubt _anybody's_ comfortable at the fact River can read your mind, Jayne," Mal said blandly. But he'd actually been circling the same thought. And it bothered him. Though, he_ did _like the idea a member of his crew would know if their clients were planning on shooting or cheating them, he didn't want her in his head telling him how Inara would or wouldn't like some of his more private imaginations.

"All right, Simon, talk to River. Make it clear, what she ought and ought not do. That's all we can do for now. Zoe? Jayne? Still need to go out and meet Burns' men, so--"

_Something to say,_

_E_very head in the room turned to River. Almost felt compelled to.

River was slowly rising from her seat, hands that had been clasped lightly in her lap now dangled at her side in their overhanging sleeves. She looked at none of them, not really, but it seemed she was looking_ into_ all of them.

_Like the sky,_ Mal thought somewhat crazily, and at the same moment gooseflesh appeared up and down his arms.

He heard someone gasp. There was a loud noise to his left and he saw peripherally that Jayne had pushed himself away from the table. It looked like he'd been bolting for the door, but had suddenly stopped, frozen in the process of leaving his seat. He too, was staring over at River.

_Must stay. Must listen. All. Not much... left. Clock? Time, ticking away on its face? Don't think so. Kind of. Something other. You are other, but you are me. The other other in me is isn't me either. The other other is tearing, poking, absorbing and not much left. Not much left. _River shuddered violently, one hand going out to clasp the edge of the table for support. _Managed to... gather some wildflowers... hide it away for a rainy day. _Tears were streaming down her cheeks now, and Mal's muscles ached to move and comfort, but he had to remain still.

_It's pouring,_

Simon's chin was shaking, hands twitching, and River let herself lean into him. _Warning you, _she said_, River will be gone, _a sigh of satisfaction._ Remembers now. River. Am water rushing down your memory and thoughts, soil gathered at her sides. Good and bad. But, will be all gone. Bits and pieces eaten up, delicious sustenance for a flytrap, _she sniffled, wiping her dripping nose on her brother's sleeve.

_One way to save this girl,_ she finally announced. But the voice in their heads was full of sudden hesitation. _Need permission-- won't do it otherwise, sorry Simon. _She was biting her lip, bright wet eyes as unfocused as ever. Except, when she started again, her tone was excited, and she was speaking quickly, _But needs to be secret. Covert consent; lock on a diary, very hush-hush; password of a secret club, exclusive membership only!_

She rose to her feet again, spread her hands out in front of her like she was counting to ten on her fingers. They could all feel her conviction. _Know how to do it, too._

At this point, things suddenly got... Odd. Well, odder. The room was swiftly filled with a sort of fog, the others disappearing in the grey haze of it. Gone. The table, the room, everything, completely covered in grey. Mal couldn't even see his own hands. Just River. Li'l albatross. The confused, faulty girl Simon had drug on his boat.

He felt an overwhelming sadness, but he had no idea why.

"Not much time," River said, and then was in front of him, and somehow looking directly into his face, like she was as tall as him. It confused him, but not too much. It felt right. "Captain," she smiled, tilting her head to the side, "do you understand what's been said?"

He had the urge to say 'no' and 'never understand half of what's comin' out of your mouth girl', but he felt himself nodding instead.

She was searching his eyes, and after a while, she seemed satisfied. "Yeah. Need somewhere to hide this girls brainpan. Need permission to do it. You could die," she explained fully, explaining nothing.

"Like that's ever bothered me."

He'd been expecting a smile, a laugh, but she just looked sad.

"You have my permission," he finished, feeling awkward.

River blinked rapidly and kissed his cheek. "Thanks," she said, stepping back, "gotta' go ask the rest." The mist was already clouding over her. "Don't know if I should pick you though," she teased, "kind of obvious."

The grey completely hid her features, she melted into nothing, and Mal was left alone. He felt like he was standing there for an hour. For a second. A month.

Time ticking away on its face.

_All done! _River announced cheerily in his head some unknown time later; in _all_ theirheads he knew. _Want you to remember this, but you won't. The other, the consuming one... won't let you. Very angry right now, _she sighed unhappily, mood completely turned around,_ it makes things harder for those left. Might be best to dispose of the body before the brain is eaten away, vultures on a carcass, betterment for the pack... _she stopped and considered the thought. Then, _No. Don't think any could do that… No. Hide and seek best unless the tide moves in a different--_

River suddenly screamed.

Mal quailed under the force of it, the strength of her almost unbearable. Force and power reverberating through his self. It was a glimpse of things to come, later, but he didn't know that.

_Time,_ she gasped, voice tremulous and weakened. She had felt all of them recoiling from her, and she forced herself calm, _all run through. Tick has been tocked. Need you to remember one thing though... sorry, it will hurt._

In the next moment, Mal saw white. And probably it did hurt like River said, but when he woke, Simon in his face, shaking him, asking something-- he didn't remember River saying anything at all. The only thought on his mind for some inexplicable reason he didn't remember-- in _all _of their minds, burned in their retinas forevermore by the strength of_ she, _was River's last warning:

_Don't trust River._


	4. Chapter Three

Furious.

The plant was livid-- _how had she found me_? it wondered, _How had she had the strength_? was another thought too, but that was uncomfortable and it pushed it aside dismissively. Her trickery had only been surprise, not strength.

It had been stealthily moving through her mind, in the shadows, undetectable as a thought of its own, blending in with River's and feeding her questions and ideas in order to distract and divert.

It looked down, seeing fragile human hands curling into fists of anger. Yes, now it controlled the physical. Now it controlled River's body. It was the only good thing that came from River's sudden coup d'état.

She'd waited until it was distracted, the plant thought bitterly. Wrapping away another piece of her, wriggling a root deep down in the cracks, completely unaware it had been found out.

The plant shivered at the memory of its short exile in the dark, experiencing a deep cold. Yes, River had surprised it, seizing power of mind that the plant had been sure it had already absorbed into itself. She'd pushed the plant aside and thrown a cloak of black over it.

What had she done in that time? the plant wondered, surveying the unconscious bodies littered around the room. What had she done when the plant could not see?

It had seen some of it, near the end. River had been giving her friends counsel and advice about the plant, too stupid to realize it was going to take the memories away. But there had been more, it was sure. When the plant had finally struggled through the veil, it had seen her friends crumpling to the floor, shaking violently under River's power.

This was the only thing the plant was still confused about. Why had she done that? To what end? Had she attacked them or protected them somehow? Once again it reached into River's mind, searching for her, ready to demand and rip out the answers.

There wasn't much of her left, and she'd taken what little there was and hidden deep inside while the plant had still been regaining control. In fact, it still had not sensed her.

_River.._. it called, old roots expanding even while new ones formed, probing, prying. _It's time to come out…_

It searched a long while, standing silently in the ship's galley, the silence broken only by the sound of the even breathing of the unconscious around her.

Frustrated, the plant broke from its search, then surprised itself by physically moving one of its new body's legs up and down rapidly. _Stomp_-- the word came to it a second later, supplied by River's brain and accompanied with a memory of River doing the same thing as a young child when she'd been told she couldn't go with her brother somewhere. But the plant dismissed the memory uninterestedly, instead clinging to the word and its meaning. The plant was _stomping_ because it was _annoyed_.

It was because of this, because of its new fascination with language and the body physical, that the plant abandoned its search for answers. It did not doubt that it would find the tattered remnants of River within the day, and they would have the answers it wanted, and then it would eat her up and then it could start the trip home.

Content with this idea, the plant began the task of memory-washing the crew. Moving from body to body, and going mind to mind with each one was exhaustive work, and the entire time it worried that River would try to surprise it again and take control. It kept stopping and looking around its brain, reaching farther back each time, and always somewhat perturbed when it still did not sense her presence.

When it eventually finished, the plant wandered away into the bowels of _Serenity_. Rest was critical, and it wanted time to think about stomping and annoyance.

-

* * *

-

Somewhat interestingly, Simon was the only person who wasn't concerned with the fact that they'd all passed out in the kitchen. He'd been the first to wake up, and he'd almost left the crew where they were in favor to go searching for his wayward sister, but then Zoe had started coughing and he'd forced himself to make sure she was okay. And then he felt sort of guilty, so he decided to at least go around and check on the others.

Mal was next, followed quickly by both Kaylee and Jayne. As soon as assured himself they each had a pulse and their eyes were open, Simon felt himself satisfied and left. He didn't notice Kaylee's disappointed gaze.

Jayne, laid-out on his back, supporting himself on his elbows, was the first to voice what everyone was thinking: "_Shen zhou _, that _nan wan chen _girl did this!" he put a hand to his head, grimacing and looking sort of sick. "Fuck, got a headache the size of an Alliance Cruiser."

Mal had pulled himself up to his feet during Jayne's diatribe and yeah, he had somewhat of a sore head. Yeah, no doubt River had done this. But he paid no heed to Jayne, looking over at Kaylee, who was still sitting on the floor, knees pulled up under her chin in a worrying fashion. "Kaylee, ya' feelin' okay?"

She didn't look up, but she nodded. "Yeah Cap'n. Um, I have headache too, but pro'ly not as bad as Jayne's sounds."

Mal looked over to his second-in-command. "Yes," Zoe said before Mal had to ask. She was leaning against the wall near the door, arms crossed over her chest. "You?"

"Yeah," he said, "an' I bet Simon'd say the same thing."

"Girl did something' to us," Jayne said again, and quite suddenly, he stuck a hand down his pants.

"Jayne!" Kaylee and Mal yelled at the same time with varying degrees of disgust.

"Makin' sure I still have all my parts!"

"And that couldn't wait until you got to your bunk?" was Mal's annoyed reply. He shook his head, wishing some patience towards the other man. Or just the ability to ignore him easier, that'd be fine too.

"Sir," Zoe said, and he immediately looked over, "River _did_ do this to us."

And there it was. Out in the open. Harder to push it out of his mind when Zoe was the one who said it. River had laid them all out when they'd been in a middle of a conversation about her. Without warning, without reason and, he realized, he didn't ever remember it happening. He put the question out to his crew, and everyone agreed, they didn't recall a thing after Mal's decision to end the group meeting.

Another progression of her psychic powers? Guess so. Accidental? Somehow, he doubted it.

"Wachya' gonna' _do_ about it, Mal?" Jayne demanded, tired of the speculating, going-no-where type of conversation that this crew seemed to love more than any other he'd been part of, "I ain't stayin' here if crazy means to fry our brains, simple as that."

"Anyone who means to fry our brains ain't welcome on this boat," Mal answered frankly. River or not, Mal was not allowing anyone on his ship who would put him under for no reason at all. Hell, even if he _had_ given her a reason. Girl knocked his whole crew flat, just using her mind. An amazingly dangerous liability. "If she doesn't get it under control, and fast," he continued, "I can't have her running loose on _Serenity_."

For once, Jayne seemed pleased with one of Mal's decisions concerning the girl. Kaylee though, looked fairly horrified, not at all wanting River to go, and on top of that, if River had to leave, Simon left too. Zoe was stone-faced and unreadable, as usual now.

"Kaylee, I want you to go help Simon find her," he said, knowing he needed to get River's view-point on what had happened before things progressed any further concerning her fate on board. Could be there was something he didn't know. It had happened before. He looked to the others, "Get your gear, we're goin' to meet Burns."

"Finally!" Jayne said, then immediately winced, hand going back to his head.

The others broke off in different directions and Mal watched them go, staying behind.

He turned to face the room, making his way around the table to right chairs that had somehow fallen over. Annoyed that he couldn't remember how. A man's mind shouldn't be missing things like that. Shouldn't have gaping expanses of nothing.

As he bent for the last chair, something came to him, strongly, something

_like the sky_

completely nonsensical. What had he been thinking about? His palms suddenly felt sweaty against the chair's back, and he quickly set it up.

"_Captain_?"

Mal started at the voice in his ear, realized it was just Zoe over his comm, and sighed at his own jumpy self. "Yeah, Zo," he said. She must have stopped by the cockpit before going to get geared up. She was in there a lot, lately.

"_A wave came through, sir, while we were..._"

"Preoccupied," he supplied for her when the silence got a little too long.

"_Preoccupied_." she agreed. "_It was Inara, and she's waitin' to be picked up_."

"Inara's waitin' to be picked up?" Mal repeated, incredulous. Well, that didn't make a lick of sense. And he said so to Zoe, adding, "She's supposed to meet us down near Burns place 'morrow, why's she wantin' to come back so early?"

"_Well, according to her, and according to the ship's date and time, Inara ain't early_.

Mal, who had started off for the cockpit and was already halfway down the hallway, abandoned his comm. "What are you telling me here?"

"Apparently, River's had us 'preoccupied' for over thirty-two hours," Zoe called back over her shoulder, spinning in the pilot's chair to face him as he ascended the stairs. "We missed our meetin' with Burns yesterday, and we're late to pick up Inara today by more'n a little."

"_Xing jiao di yu, zhou fen-- dao mei! Hu shou! Gan ni niang!"_

Zoe actually looked somewhat impressed.

"_Yan su,_ we needed that job with Burns! _Thirty-two hours_? What was that girl _thinkin'_!"

"Not a whole lot, I imagine," Zoe said, not unsympathetic, turning the chair back to the controls. "Want I should send a wave back to Inara explainin' our situation?"

"_Shi_, no. No, I want you and Jayne and we're goin' down to Burns right now and beggin' him let us back on this job," She nodded and Mal stepped around her as she left to get her gear, reaching for the ship intercom, "Jayne," his voice echoed through the ship, and even through the crackly speakers it was evident that he was more than past his limit, "get your _sha gua _ass in the cargo bay and warmin' up the mule. Simon, I want you and your sister sittin' quietly in your quarters by the time I get back, and the three of us, we're goin' to be havin' quite the talk. Kaylee, you... just... You better not do anything _ben de _stupid in the time that I'm gone!"

He slammed the radio back into place, thumb still pressed down on the transmit button so everyone on his boat got a taste of it.

Headache had come back something awful.


	5. Chapter Four

There's always someone on _Serenity_, so when it took more than a moment for a reply to her wave, Inara knew something was off. But it wasn't until she saw their faces-- Mal, Zoe, Jayne, the mule coming to a stop in front of her-- that she _knew_ something was wrong.

Oh my, she had the wisdom not to say to their dark, foreboding faces. Instead, she gathered her skirts, accepting Zoe's helping hand as she climbed into the mule's front, only commenting with, "Thanks for the ride."

Somehow, and she probably should have anticipated this, Mal took her statement as extreme sarcasm. "I thought ya' weren't to tell us what's said between you and your clients," he countered.

She schooled her expression, though he was sitting directly behind her and there was no way he could see her face. It hurt a surprising amount. Things between her and Mal had been gotten a little better, with only a few regressions here and there. She guessed today was a 'there'.

After a moment of watching the landscape passing the getting-up-to-speed mule, Inara turned towards Zoe, asking, "How did the job with William Burns go?"

The other woman regarded her before turning back to watch the road. "Didn't."

She could practically feel the storm cloud of Mal gathering behind her.

"It's all the _wu yan de _girl's fault," Jayne growled darkly, breaking the silence.

Inara felt her eyebrows rise when no one returned with a sharp remark about him being unfair towards River, and wondered just what had happened while she was gone. But she wasn't going to say or ask any questions of this group. Kaylee, she decided. She'd invite Kaylee for tea, and hopefully then she'd know just what was going on inside _Serenity_.

-

* * *

Kaylee found her in the engine room. The girl was laying underneath Kaylee's own hammock, staring at the underside of it.

"River!" she said, surprised and pleased, "I musta' passed you layin' there over a dozen times! Why didn't you say nothin''?"

River slowly turned her head, meeting her eyes but looking through her. Kaylee frowned. That was the gaze of old-River. Deep inside her own head, going over thoughts about nothing. She hadn't looked like that in a long time.

"River," Kaylee started gently, going to her knees by the hammock, "ya' made the Cap'n really mad. With what happened back in --"

"What is the opposite of annoyance?" River demanded, still staring at her.

"Um. Guess your tongue's all healed up," Kaylee said, feeling discomfited and wondering if this was River's odd way of telling her to leave, "did you hear what I said? River, you're in real trouble here--"

"Quiet," she ordered, "I already picked it from your head anyway. 'Happy' you think. 'Pleased.'"

Kaylee felt a vague crawling up her back, but it was like a whisper,

_don't trust_

and her annoyance at River's cavalier attitude overrode it. "Well, you don' havta' talk to me, I guess," she sniffed, pulling herself back to her feet. She reached for the wall unit radio. "Simon, I found River," she reported over the ship's speakers. If she sounded bitter, it was only the static messing with her voice. "She's in the engine room."

She let herself fall back against the wall, arms crossed. Annoyed and put-out. She looked down at River again, ready to say something, but from this position all she could see was her bare feet. They were so small. Then she felt a rush of sympathy, the memory of the withered leather ball in the cargo bay coming to her mind. Gosh, what was _River_ going through right now, herself?

"River," she tried again, "I just wanna' warn you okay? They're goin' to be askin' about what happened in the kitchen, an' you gotta' have a good answer prepared, otherwise Cap'n might just kick ya' off _Serenity_, really, they were talkin' about--"

River's feet flexed, and she suddenly rolled out from underneath the hammock, going into a crouch position. "I was trying to decide whether or not to say anything. You're an extremely annoying person," River said, no longer looking through her, but right at her. Right _at_ her. The force of it shocked Kaylee into silence. "And I guess it makes sense because I can see in your head, that you're just a dumb uncultured third-world girl who happens to have a skill for machinery. You never learned any proper manners."

Kaylee gasped, arms dropping to her side of their own volition.

River uncoiled herself, rising to her full height. "Honestly, it wouldn't Imatter/I if someone tried to teach you, because _you_ don't matter," she said, never breaking eye contact, stepping close, "what would be the point?"

Kaylee recoiled into the wall, banging the back of her head. She cried out, but otherwise ignored it, ignored the pain, only wanting to be _away_. Her eyes, her voice, her _words_; Kaylee slipped by her, running. She passed Simon on her way out. She thought he yelled something after her, sounded concerned, but she didn't stop. And something was repeating itself over and over in her head, a ghastly mantra: _he doesn't love you._

_-  
_

* * *

The plant allowed herself to be led. She didn't mind the hand linked through hers, guiding her through the ship. She was flying high on Kaylee's horrified thoughts and feelings. It had given her much more than she'd been anticipating, so much so, that she was still coming to grip with it. The sustenance was amazing.

She'd needed it though. Her reserves had been lower then she'd anticipated from the mind-washing of the crew. Resting had not gathered her energy suitably, and she'd required more. Instinct had told her to do what she had with Kaylee, like instinct had told her how to handle River during the assimilation, but she'd had no idea how... how _pleasing_ it would be.

Only one thing marred her satisfaction.

She was annoyed that she hadn't found River yet. Why hadn't she come out when the plant was most vulnerable? She wouldn't have succeeded, of course, the plant had digested nearly everything now, but still, the plant thought it was the type of thing River would try... so, where was she? And why hadn't she come out to defend her friend? That was something she definitely should have done, the plant could see it in her memories.

Once again, and this time, with the most power she had ever had or used before, the giant, pulsing plant lengthened her already extensive vines. They grew exponentially. They'd already wrapped and digested everything vital. Created gaping cavity holes in the few things that weren't. Jabbed, lifted, absorbed everything else. There was simply no where left for River to be hiding.

And yet she hid.

The plant paused, thinking that one through. Had... the plant made a mistake? She felt something akin to worry. Forgotten something? Frantically, she went back through her own memories; there were so few that it didn't take long for her to see what she'd put aside.

The cloak of darkness… had there been _another_ reason for that besides River searching for a place to hide in her head and the chance to counsel her friends? The young plant didn't see how she could have done anything else, but this _was_ where River had been lost, and the plant needed to find her. She paid closer attention to the memory.

The long darkness. The plant madly struggling and managing to hear a few bits of River talking to the others. A scream, River, then the veil had lif-- wait. _No_.

The plant unconsciously contracted its veins and squeezed Simon's hand simultaneously.

Two screams. All of her friends had been suffering convulsions from the pain she was putting upon them, but there had only been _two_ screams. The whole crew had had to suffer to some degree in order to hide the truth from the plant, but only two screams: River and one another.

River, the plant realized with absolute blinding fury, had transferred herself over to one of them.

-

* * *

he horizon was a streaky array of orange and purple by the time they reached _Serenity_.

Zoe felt the jarring of Mal and Jayne jumping from the mule though she hadn't even brought it to a stop yet.

"Something happened involving River,"

Zoe glanced at the woman next to her, gave an assenting nod. "Yeah," she replied, putting the mule in park, "but you're better off gettin' the gist of it from someone else."

She could feel Inara's eyes on her back as she climbed off, and there was a quiet, "All right," but Zoe was already ascending the cargo bay stairs, and her mind was somewhere else, and she didn't acknowledge it.

The gloomy mood on the ship helped Zoe slide easier into the cynical mindset she'd embraced. She'd _had_ to embrace it, because Wash had been her escape from it before, her link to carefree happiness, and _gai si_, it just hurt too much to be those things anymore.

He, her opposite. She, his. They'd played off each other in a way she knew she'd never find again, and when she'd had it, she hadn't appreciated it. Not enough.

She sat down in the new pilot chair they'd installed. She and Mal had carried out his body. Later, Jayne and her had cleaned the place up, and after that, she'd helped Kaylee put the chair in place.

It squeaked. Even after all these months, it squeaked like it was still new.

She stared out the front window, wondering. And yeah, mourning.

-

* * *

He knew the others had finally arrived, heard the ramp descending, and he turned to give River a reassuring word or two, but she was staring off into the wall of their room. Eyes blank and indifferent. The same way she'd been since he found her standing silently in the engine room.

As a doctor, seeing that emptiness gave Simon the urge to to go to back to the old medications. He still had them, locked up in the infirmary. The inhibitors, the tranquilizers, and whatever else she needed to come back from wherever she was, he could find it. But the brother side of him... well, he knew how happy River had been recently; how much better she'd gotten. And he wasn't oblivious to her hatred of the injections and mood-blockers before, so _he_ was happy when it seemed she'd no longer needed them. And frankly, he was loathe to subject her to it again.

He sighed, swallowing the unsaid words of encouragement and turned to the door, trying to prepare himself for whatever the Captain might say.

-

* * *

Jayne was in of two sorts about the recent goings-on; for one, he felt a sort of vindication. Sure, moon brain had gotten a little better since after what happened with Miranda, even became a somewhat helpful part of the crew- a hell of a sure shot if there ever was one-- so no, it didn't please him that the River was clearly crazy again, but _qi pian _she _was_. Everyone except him seemed to forget, girl had a track record of causin' more trouble'n a hole in the bottom of a canoe.

"T'aint worth it," Jayne mumbled, hooking a foot underneath a handle to his quarters and kicking open the hatch. He grabbed the metal railings, sliding down the ladder.

The other side to Jayne's thoughts were focused keenly on River's final warning. Of course, he had no idea that River was the one who'd put it in his mind, but unlike the others, Jayne had received her message loud and clear. _Don't trust River_. Got it. Done. It was on the forefront of his thinking, and like a storm cloud hanging over everything else.

He stood next to his impressive display of weapons, lifted the guns from his side holsters, placing them carefully in their hooks on his wall. He'd taken little ladies when he'd gone to meet Burns. Now he reached for the much bigger, more lethal arms, hefting and inspecting each. He didn't want to be taken unprepareds now he was back on the ship.

-

* * *

"Thirty-two hours, doc."

"Yes, I--"

"Missed a big job." They'd been going over this part of the captain's irritation for awhile now.

"I understand--"

"Comin' out of your pocket," Mal reminded for the third time.

"Yes, _fine_."

Mollified for the moment, he nodded towards River. She was still sitting next to him on the bed. "She explained herself yet?"

Simon shook his head miserably, following the captain's gaze. "I'm afraid she hasn't said one word to me." He suddenly remembered something, and he looked back up at the other man. "She might have spoken with Kaylee, though. I'll have to see--"

"No," Mal interrupted, and there was a sense of warning in his tone that Simon recognized well enough, "you're not seein' nothin' except your sister and this room until she starts talkin', and realizin' she can't do the things she's doin'. And if you don't get through to her, I can't have her here."

"Well, I will," Simon said. And he didn't doubt it. She was just going through something temporary; a growth-spurt of the psychic variety. He'd get through to her.

Mal regarded him for a long minute. Simon refused to let himself shift or show his discomfort, afraid it would cast some sort of doubt on his confidence of River's recovery.

"_Chun cui, _you need anythin', you use the comms. I don't want to see you or River anywhere else on this boat 'cept this lovely room, dong ma?"

He nodded. What would he have done if Mal had kicked them off? Alliance had somewhat backed off since Miranda, but he didn't doubt they'd be caught in no time if he and River had to try and find another ship. "Right."

Mal looked down at River again. His expression was unreadable to Simon.

And then this is how things should have gone: Mal should have headed for the door, giving Simon one final caution about staying in the room; Simon should have repressed the urge to roll his eyes while saying 'okay', glad to have the room to himself, ready to start work with River.

But this is how things really went: River suddenly squeezed down hard on Simon's hand and turned to look at both of them, eyes narrowed. In rapid succession, Mal's legs abruptly lost most of their strength and Simon's head rocked back on his neck.

-

* * *

_tbc..._ _ please review!_


	6. Chapter Five

_Thanks for the reviews!_

_here's another two chapters...  
_

-

-

"Kaylee?" Inara called, kneeling down and lightly knocking on the door adorned with multicolored paintings of flowers. "Kaylee, are you in there?"

Sniffling, followed up with a squeaky, "Ain't up to talkin' right now, 'Nara!"

She felt her heart go out to her, but also felt a sort of exasperation, immediately suspecting Simon had said or done something unintentionally hurtful. "Kaylee, are you all right?"

"Mm'fine," Kaylee called, slightly muffled and truly unconvincing.

Inara decided to chance the girl's wrath, and she opened Kaylee's hatch, poking her head down. She was curled up on her bed, holding a stuffed animal tightly to her chest, face buried in fuzz. Unsurprisingly, she'd heard the door. "Oh Inara," she cried out pitifully, "I don't want ya' to see me like this," and rolled over to her other side.

Nonetheless, Inara carefully made her way down the ladder, using one hand to hold the rail, the other carefully holding her skirts tight to her back. She sighed, "What did he say Kaylee?"

"Huh?"

Inara stepped down onto solid ground, looking puzzled. "What happened?" she asked, going to the bedside. From this angle, Inara could clearly see the tears winding their way down her cheeks- the red swollen eyes. This was more than just a Simon slip-up. Somewhat alarmed, she placed a hand on Kaylee's arm. "You aren't hurt are you?"

Kaylee sighed and gave another sniffle. "No. Guess not."

"Not physically, maybe, but _something's_ wrong."

Kaylee looked up at her, hesitating. Then she shook her head, "Nothin', it's nothin'. Really, I'm fine. Right as rain."

Inara sat carefully on the side of the bed, hand still resting on Kaylee's arm. She thought back to her brief exchange of words with Zoe, and after a moment, she asked cautiously, "Kaylee... does it have to do with River?"

Kaylee, still clutching her stuffed animal, shuddered beneath her hand. She muttered something Inara didn't catch, scooting deeper into her bedding.

"What was that?"

She turned back, meeting Inara's eyes with her brightly shining ones. And Inara couldn't help but feel a deep chill go through her when Kaylee finally spoke, her voice low, her face a myriad of emotions, the most of which stood out to Inara as utter certainty.

"Said, 'I don't think it was River'."

-

* * *

-

They were overtaken by pain, a rusted spike driven through their grey matters; a flip switch turning off any conscious thought other than _let me die_.

Simon collapsed first, limbs loose on the bed, but he was not permitted to fall into the unaware blackness. The plant was holding him away from it, taunting him as she punished, pushing nerve centers-- his body twitching in response.

Mal's legs finally buckled, and he went down hard. The plant crossed the room, kicked him in the face with a well-placed heel, and went for his pistols.

He somehow found it in himself to make a grab for them, but she completely ignored him and he only brushed her calves as she stepped back to the bed. She tossed the guns to the other side of the mattress, her only interest in them having been to take them away from Mal. "I know you're in there River," she was saying, leaning above the spasming Simon, hair brushing his face, "reveal yourself, or this continues."

Mal watched, eye just starting to swell and his vision hazy, as Simon's hands opened and closed in a sudden seize.

She cocked a fist back. "Is this not enough?" she demanded of the air, and Mal wondered whether she'd had a psychotic breakdown or someone other than River had really taken over River's body. "Do you really think I won't kill him?" Without another word, she punched him in the gut, hard enough that he gave a whooping gasp; cocked the arm back again. "I've seen your memories, I _know_ this is the vessel you chose!"

Didn't much matter at the moment, Mal decided, and he moved for the knife he kept tucked in the side of his boot, but the girl-who-might-not-be-River, the woman-child, _whatever_, lifted a hand in his direction.

He shouted out, falling back. _Shen me_, the entire length of his arm felt like it was on fire!

"I wouldn't do that again," she hissed as the feeling abated. She'd never looked over at him, and she still didn't, eyes locked on Simon's twisting body.

Mal grunted, rolling to his side, trying to think. It was hard though, his head was still ringing, his eye hurt like a _biao zi_, and River, or whoever she was now, seemed to know everything he was thinking anyway.

"Come out River!" she yelled. Then the sound of two punches in quick succession, and Simon gave an eerie mix of a grunt and cry. Her voice had taken a slightly hysterical tone. "Come out nownow_now_!" Another. "Do it or he's dead! I'll kill him!"

"What good--" Mal coughed, then cleared his throat, "What good will he be dead?"

Not-River finally looked down at him on the floor, eyes blazing. It was disarming. "Do not speak again or I'll kill you!"

He somehow managed a bitter smile and, despite her orders, spoke again, "You seem a bit fixated on the whole killin' thing, huh?"

She growled. "I can see it in your head, you just want to distract me."

Mal nodded from the floor. "True, but I also truly wanna' know what good it'll do you if Simon is dead." He paused. "Or me, for that matter."

She actually looked sort of confused at the question, blinking and looking between the incapacitated men. Like she hadn't really thought it through. "You're right," she said, then she rose up from the bed, crossed the room towards him.

Mal didn't like that, not at all, and he tried to roll in the opposite direction, but she grabbed his leg, pressing down on a nerve that held it still as she slid out the knife hidden in Mal's boot. He moved to stop her, but she was too fast.

"His death _would_ be detrimental. River," she announced to the air, turning back to the bed, "if you don't come out, I won't kill Simon, but I will remove his fingers!"

Mal grimaced. Not exactly what he'd had in mind.

"And then if you still don't reveal yourself, I will remove his entire hand! And then if you still don't, I will remove his arm! And then--"

"I don't think that's the best idea," Mal said quickly.

Not-River, who was now reaching for Simon's right hand and eyeing his ring finger, said, "And why is that?"

He didn't actually know. But she wasn't chopping off any body parts yet, and he needed to keep it that way. "For one thing, you might just make her angry."

"This is another distraction," the girl said. Which was completely true but, for some reason, she still asked, "And why would I care if I made her angry?"

"Well… then she might never go'n reveal herself'."

The-girl-that-so-very-clearly-wasn't-River didn't reply, lightly running the knife up and down Simon's palm. Simon, for his part, didn't seem to hear a word they were saying, eyes half-lidded, glassy, and mouth slack.

"I know _I'd_ be mighty annoyed at someone who sliced up someone I had a fondess for," Mal said while very slowly sitting up, so as not to startle not-River. When she didn't seem to care, he continued, carefully probing the area around his eye, "Annoyed enough to ignore 'em when they told me ta do somethin'."

She seemed to consider it, looking off into the wall. Then, "No, no. You're wrong, I can see from her memories that River should be doing as I say. She doesn't like it when Simon is hurt!"

With a sudden growl, the girl threw the knife down on the bed. She looked extremely frustrated, and put-out. Much like normal-River did when no one understood her thoughts of how a bowl of protein felt about being eaten. But when her angry eyes fell back on Mal, he found himself with an icy lump in his stomach and really, really wishing he had those guns back in his holsters. One in each hand, better yet.

"No, she is not hiding in her brother. She would have come out by now, I know. But," she cocked her head to the side, "she might be in _you_," and before Mal could properly show the total abject horror he felt at the idea of her turning that knife on him, she continued, "or Zoe, or Kaylee, Inara, Jayne... Yes, many human vessels for her to choose from. I must conduct an investigation."

"Now when you say 'investigation'--" he stopped, hissing, as a sharp pain spiked through him.

"I'm tired of talking to you. And I can see that you're thinking of ways to stop me. It's annoying." She rose from the bed, tossing her hair over her shoulders distractedly. She was muttering to herself, and while Mal rubbed at his still-throbbing chest, trying to come up with a way out of this, he caught the words, "I have to gather them in one place... Hm. Use them against each other so River will be forced to show herself, that seems to be the only way--"

The next thing Mal did only worked because as _soon_ as he thought of it, he did it. By the time the thought had traveled over to the preoccupied plant's head, he was already on his feet.

"No!" she yelled, spinning around, face colored with surprise.

But he was already diving for it. Not the knife or a gun, rather, the intercom next to the door. Figured if he couldn't stop her himself, he'd at least try to warn the others.

Except his fingers had just scarcely brushed the transmit button when he got a full blast of the plant's anger. "_Gai si," _Mal gasped, body slamming into the wall as all direction and thought flew from his brain.

His arms fell to the side, and his legs curled underneath him as he leisurely sank to the floor. He didn't feel any pain, only a ghastly numbness.

"Oh, you'll feel it later," the creature hissed behind him.

So he'd tried, and yes, he'd even managed to surprise the plant. But he hadn't gotten a message out to the others.


	7. Chapter Six

The sound of an incoming wave roused Zoe.

She'd fallen asleep, curled up in the squeaky chair. There was probably a permanent imprint of her ass in it, she thought with more than a dose of cynicism, blinking awake. Whatever she'd been dreaming of was blown away like dust from a shelf, not even an impression of good or bad left behind.

She doubted it'd been good though. She reached forward to accept the wave.

"_Serenity_," Zoe greeted, wiping tiredly at her face just before the screen flickered to life. It revealed a surly looking, glaring, and heavily-bearded man.

She was faintly shocked, "Burns." Who just happened to be the very same man that had, not four hours ago, flatly refused Mal's close-to-being-desperate request to let them back on the job. Flatly refused and flatly ignored everything he'd said. Zoe straightened in the chair, curious but wary.

"_Yeah, it's William Burns. And William Burns wants to give your sad excuse for a crew another chance to make him happy_."

Zoe was careful not to show how she felt about Burns' habit of referring to himself in third-person or his disparaging comment. "Let me get the Captain--"

"_Is he in the room with you_?"

"No, he--"

"_William Burns doesn't have the time to wait for him, then. Yes or no, do you want the job_?"

She paused. Found herself irritated and taken aback at Burns' lack of etiquette. It was an interesting position to be in, as it were usually _Serenity_'s crew the ones irritating others. "Cargo, like before?"

"_No_."

She waited for him to offer more, but he remained silent. She shook her head, "I'll need a little more'n that."

He didn't answer, instead, raising a hand to stroke his beard. He knew very well how much they needed the cash, and she guessed he was taking full advantage of it, probably setting them up with a job that could very easily end with them being shipped off to Alliance.

He was a very annoying man, Zoe decided.

Finally, he said, "_You would be breaking into a facility and retrieving something for me_."

"On this planet?" They didn't have the money for gas to get anywhere else unless Burns was planning on fronting it. Another reason Mal had been so miserable after not getting the job.

"_Yes, on this planet. Tomorrow. And if you agree, William Burns will send you the details in an encrypted wave._"

She agreed, but added, "If the Cap'n ends up not likin it, we ain't doing it."

Burns sniffed disapprovingly. "_And if that happens, it will be the last time William Burns or any of his colleagues do business with you_."

The screen winked out.

Zoe sighed, reflecting on what a pleasant person Burns was as she spun the chair, ignoring its squeak of protest. Pondered on whether or not she'd done the right thing agreeing to even look at his details and possibly burn a serious bridge if it turned out to be a bad affair. She shook her head, knowing there was nothing to do about it now.

She descended the stairs, wondering if Mal was still with Simon. She'd check there first. Wondered how River was doing.

"Hey,"

She slowed to a stop asking, "What?" just as Jayne's head popped up from his quarters.

"Know if we're plannin' staying on this rock for awhile?"

"'Least two days," she said as he climbed up into the hallway. "Might even have a job with Burns then."

"_Pi hua_! Really, eh?" he said with raised eyebrows. For some odd reason, he was decked out in some seriously imposing artillery. The man was a constant source of bemusement. "Guess she hasn't ruined everythin' after all."

She waved inquiringly at the straps of ammo and numerous clipped-on guns. "You got somethin' goin' on I should know about, Jayne?"

He fingered the gun she knew to be Vera, face solemn. "It's called insurance, Zo'."

She thought, he's _that_ afraid of River? but only commented disbelievingly, "You know what insurance means?"

He sneered in response, hefting Vera closer to himself. "I'm goin' out."

"You ain't gonna' be allowed five steps into town lookin' like that, and we don't have the money to come bailin' you out."

Jayne rolled his eyes, "Like I don't know. Ain't goin' to town, I'm just gettin' off the ship for the night."

She hadn't noticed it with everything else he was holding, but now that she looked, the strapped canvas bag was quite visible, slung over his shoulder, hanging halfway down his back. She guessed it held the things he'd need for a night out in the wilderness. And it actually made her wonder if maybe Jayne was right by taking this River thing so seriously-- which was immediately followed by contemplation on all the times he simply overreacted about the girl.

Well, either way, man wanted off the ship, man could get off the ship. "Suit yourself. Be back by early morning' 'morrow," Zoe advised, "we'll need to go over Burns' job."

Without waiting for a response, she headed back down the hall, heard Jayne pounding down into the cargo bay behind her until he was out of earshot. She passed through the galley to take the alternate stairs down to the passenger quarters, where Simon and River still resided after all this time.

It happened just after she reached the landing in front of the infirmary.

Zoe had glanced towards the darkened medbay by happenstance, already in the process of turning when she saw something moving on the other side of the glass. She froze in place on instinct born of experience, looking closer.

The girl.

She was sitting atop one of the med beds, hardly visible in the shadowy room, barefooted feet swinging slowly in front of her. Staring through her lanky hair, head cocked, right back at Zoe.

Couldn't help it-- she went for the gun at her side. "Captain!" she yelled towards the quarters, voice sharp, keeping her eyes on River.

Feeling dry-mouthed at the lack of response: "River," she said, "where are the others? Simon and Mal?"

She didn't answer. Just sat silently, swinging her feet.

"Captain!" she tried again, wondering if the others were in the medbay with the girl somehow, on the floor, out of view. She moved to take a step to the side, to get a better view, but found that she couldn't. Not an inch. Her leg muscles were locked-in place.

"_Qu di yu_!" Zoe cursed, thumb cocking back the gun's barrel. She didn't particularly enjoy the prospect of shooting River, not at all, but Mal still hadn't responded and now the girl was trying to try her mind tricks on her.

River smiled, teeth flashing white in the dark, raised a hand. Pinky and ring finger tucked into her palm, the other two pointed straight out at her, thumb extended.

_Bang_, she thought loudly.

Zoe felt an overwhelming urge to glance down at her own hand, and saw with a rush of shock, stomach dropping, that she'd never stopped raising her gun. And now her hand was slowly turning around of its own volition. Turning around to point the barrel right at her face.

"_Fuck_!" she gasped, trying to drop it, to throw it away.

The gun wouldn't move, no matter how much she tried; it remained pointed straight at her nose, as locked into place as her legs. She couldn't move.

River actually started laughing when perspiration appeared on Zoe's forehead.

It was hard to believe it was really happening, more like a bad dream, but the longer Zoe stared down the gun's barrel, the harder it was getting to deny.

Finally her laughter died down. She hiccupped a few times. "Oh, that was great," she called delightedly with another hiccup, voice muffled through the glass. Zoe's entire body was trembling. "Much better than what Kaylee gave me!"

Suddenly, the psychic pressure on her mind disappeared and Zoe collapsed to her knees, gun falling from nerveless fingers. She heard the medbay door slide open and knew River was coming towards her, but the effort to move was just too much, and she remained kneeling and shaking and feeling completely useless.

The voice came from beside her, standing above, "Okay, now you have to come in here while I round up the others."

-

* * *

-

The plant practically skipped through the ship, going room from room, no set destination in mind, just enjoying the feeling of the body's muscles bunching, releasing, stretching out each time she lifted a leg.

She laughed aloud, jumping up to hit the top of a doorway she was passing. Just for fun. Another fascinating idea seemingly unique to the human race: doing things for fun.

She'd taken care of business earlier; had caught Inara and Kaylee. Huddled together in Kaylee's room, faces shocked when she'd swung open the hatch Kaylee had foolishly forgotten to lock. Foolish, stupid, naïve Kaylee. A completely unprepared Inara.

Now they were with the others in the medbay, sedated and tied up. Of course, it had taken a good amount of energy to control them both unwillingly _to_ the medbay, but the plant had taken care of that by giving Kaylee another round of hurtful comments and scaring Inara out of her mind with a trick very similar to the one she'd pulled on Zoe.

Yes, her reserves were now restored and even overflowing. The emotions of the humans, the strength and vitality of their horror, continued to delight the plant. The amount of power and energy she could gain from them was enormous.

But things weren't perfect. She still needed to wait for the mercenary to come back tomorrow, and then, and _then_, she'd _finally h_ave everything she needed to get River back in her grasp.

The plant felt a strange rumbling in her stomach and came to a stop on the cargo bay stairs, staring down curiously. Quickly flipping through River's memory, she realized that the body was hungry.

Well, of course, she thought, all living things needed sustenance. The plant herself needed emotions, feelings and thoughts, it made sense that the body needed something too.

She bounded back up the stairs, thoughts on the food in the galley.

Human food. My, this should be an experience.

* * *

_to be continued, please review!_


	8. Chapter Seven

It was like he was swaying back and forth, or the world itself was swaying back and forth, the dark shapes around him moving lazily from side to side. Worrisome it was not, actually, it felt very pleasant. Like your grandpa's rocking chair.

Had his grandpa even had a rocking chair?

Mal's muddled thoughts took a while to clear, and many minutes passed before he realized that he wasn't a little boy in a rocking chair; that there was someone behind him actually pushing him from side to side.

Why was he lying on his side? He grunted in a questioning tone, made a halfhearted effort to look over his shoulder.

There was an answer, but he couldn't understand it.

Were his hands tied behind him?

His mind came together quickly after that, focused in self-preservation instinct. He could tell from his dry mouth and nauseous stomach that he had been drugged.

"Who?"

"Mal," Inara's voice found his ear, "are you finally back?"

"Mm here," he mumbled, forcing his eyes to stay open. "What's...?"

"River," she answered, "or, rather, something that looks like River."

He stiffened as the recent memories came rushing back. Cursed softly. "Where is she?" he asked, peering into the darkness around him. He thought he saw the shapes of his crew around him, and vividly recalled his failed effort to warn them. "And why are you pushing me?"

"She's running around the ship. Sometimes she passes us... and I'm trying to cut off these things around your wrists with a scalpel. But they're made from some sort of alloy; it's very difficult."

"Yeah, I _bought '_em difficult to cut through,"

"Are you saying I should have left you tied-up?" she asked sarcastically, continuing to cut at the bonds.

"How'd you get out of yours?"

"Just slipped out."

"Ah, well, you probably had a lot of practice with that sort of-- _ah_!"

"Oh my, I slipped again."

He rolled his eyes, but decided not to comment. Instead, he asked, "Everybody in here?"

"I _think_ so, but it's too dark to tell for sure."

"Where were you when she found you?"

"With Kaylee, in her room."

Remembering the not-so-nice way not-River had treated Simon and himself, he asked quickly, "Are you-- is Kaylee all right?"

"She's fine. I'm fine."

They lapsed into silence, broken only by the sounds of the scratching scalpel.

Time passed. He thought about the way Inara's soft hands brushed his rough and calloused ones as she worked.

He shifted, pressing his face into the cool floor, but thought better of it when the soreness around his eye flared from the treatment. "How close?" he asked, trying to find a more comfortable position.

The scratching stopped as Inara checked. Then she sighed, sounding frustrated. "I don't think it's going to work after all. I've barely made a scratch here."

He felt a source of frustration himself, knowing he'd finally bought a decent set of cuffs only to have them being used on him and his. "Well, I'm definitely not gonna' be sliding out of 'em either," he said after pulling and twisting and finding the bonds tight and painful when he did. He considered things. "Think you can go 'round and check to see if anybody else was tied loose 'sides you?"

"Alright."

He heard her clothes swishing around as she moved, watched her dark form crawl towards the person nearest them.

"It's Simon," she whispered for Mal's benefit, "and he's not getting out of his either."

She moved on.

"Zoe," she informed him when she reached the next one, "it might work this time."

He heard her trying to rouse his second-in-command with hushed whispers and gentle shakes.

There was a loud bang -- the door to the medlab swinging inward and rebounding off the wall-- then lights flooded the room.

Surprised from the suddeness of it, all Mal could do was blink his rapidly watering eyes. When he could focus again, still squinting from the brightness, he saw that Inara had fallen back on her butt and her mouth was agape, staring up at body-hijacked River. Who was glowering down at them both, the door swinging slowly behind her, hands fisted at her sides.

"_What_," she asked slowly, dangerously, "do you think you're doing?"

Mal found himself at a loss for words.

The girl had been into the ship's food stores.

He stared.

Kaylee's special protein-dip was all _over_ her face, smeared around her mouth. The green stains of it spattering her dress's front.

And he couldn't help it, his own mouth quirked in the corners at the complete unexpectedness of it.

"What? This is-- I don't care how I look," the girl stuttered, wind taken from her intimidation sails, obviously having read both Inara and Mal's minds, and feeling the need to defend herself. He noted with surprise that there was an embarrassed flush gathering around her neck. "It was delicious, and I will eat however I want!"

A glob of green suddenly fell from her chin, slapping loudly on the floor.

She stomped down onto the mess, wiping at it with her foot. "Stop thinking about what I look like immediately!" she ordered with flashing eyes and burning cheeks.

Mal and Inara shared a helpless glance.

"You're still thinking about it!"

"Just surprised, is all," he said quickly, any desire to laugh quickly disappearing. He knew what the girl was capable of when she was angry, and he didn't really want to know what she might do if she was both angry _and_ embarrassed.

"Yes," Inara hastily agreed, "surprised."

She raised her heard proudly, and Mal tried really, really hard not to have any thoughts about how ridiculous it looked right then. "Well, _I'm_ surprised too. I came down here to get Kaylee so she could make me more dip, and what do I find?"

They didn't reply.

"Escape attempts aren't allowed," she said.

Mal couldn't let such a ridiculous statement go uncontested. "Did ya' really expect us ta just lay here? Do _nothin'_?"

"Of course."

"Well, I never took you to be naïve like that Rive--" he stopped, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "Point of interest here, now I'm ponderin' it… what are we supposed to be callin' you anyway? Say ya' ain't River, but you never given us a different name have you?"

She blinked, eyebrows rising high.

Mal liked the look on her. Liked keeping her off balance and being the one leading the conversation, so he turned towards Inara, "How 'bout you guys? She tell you her name?"

Inara wasn't quite sure where he was going with this, he could tell by her hesitation to answer, but finally, she said, "Well, no, actually,"

The girl looked between them. "A name?"

"Yeah, a name," Mal said, looking back towards her, "got one?"

Supreme bewilderment showed on her face. "I'm... I'm..."

"Your name's _I'm_?"

Her face twisted.

And Mal barely had the time to think _may be that keepin' the sarcasm to a minimum would be a good idea_ before the girl raised a hand and he felt an ice pick driving itself in, through, and out his skull.

He heard her words: "I have to think about this," as he fell hard onto his side; heard Inara call his name in a panic, but that was it because his world went sort of spinny.

The pain lingered, every time he made an effort to come back out of it, he got a sort of shock and fell back again. Made it completely impossible to concentrate.

When he finally did come back to himself, it was slow and stupid, feeling like he was dragging himself out of a bog. Inara had been pulled up onto one of the cots and tied down with the restraints. She looked like she was unconscious, and Mal, headache drumming away on the right side of his head (same side as his swelling eye, he observed bitterly), only hoped she hadn't experienced what he had.

"You annoy me Malcolm," River's voice came from beside the door.

He hadn't noticed her there, but he focused all his attention on her now, anxiety, heartbeat, and focus immediately going up a notch. "_Captain_ Mal," she added with a sneer, "with his stupid, pointless questions."

But her green-smeared face was pinched and she looked uneasy and it was obvious she didn't think his questions were as stupid or pointless as she was saying.

With a high-pitched growl, not-River spun on her heel, skirt flying. She left the medbay with a huffy air, not even turning the lights off behind her.

Mal let his aching head rest back on the floor, eyes sliding shut, just glad she was gone.

Suddenly, he thought of something and his eyes popped open.

He surveyed the room once again, eyeing his unconscious shipmates.

Minus one.

"Oh come _on_!"

--

* * *

--

Jayne yawned, utterly content, stretched out on top of his sleeping bag, gazing up at the stars.

_Nice night_, he thought.

--

* * *

--

The galley was a mess. The plant had pulled out everything she could find after her first taste of Kaylee's dip, hoping to find more or more like it. If she hadn't liked the taste of something, she'd discarded it over a shoulder and dug her hand back into the cabinets or ripped open other bags.

Now though, the plant worried at her lip, gazing at nothing, into figurative space. She sat cross-legged in the middle of the chaos, on the floor.

It had seemed like such a simple question. Did she have a name?

But the question raised other questions that raised other questions that made the plant want to rip her own hair out in confusion. It made her think about identity and self. She was created for a mission. She _was_ the mission of capturing River, devouring her, and returning home.

Essentially, when she'd been implanted in River's head, she'd been 'born'.

But that was thinking in human terms.

Was she part human now, too, though? She had a human body, maybe not forever but until the mission was complete. River would never have it back, anyway, which would make the plant its last owner.

The thoughts went round and round, no sort of end, retracing the same paths and making new ones before she slammed an aggravated fist down onto the floor beside her, completely frustrated.

Yet, there was a feeling of satisfaction from the sound it made.

Humans were confusing.

--

* * *

--

"He told me 'fore he did it, sir."

"He did?"

"He did."

"Really?"

"Sir."

"Well. Such as it is, I almost don't care."

Kaylee piped up, "Ain't this good for us, though? Jayne not bein' captured here with us? He could take her by surprise!"

Mal sighed, turning from Zoe to meet Kaylee's earnest eyes. "It would be, if'n this girl wasn't a mind-reader who will, as soon as she walks in here, know that Jayne'll be comin' and take away any and all advantage from this fact."

"Oh," she sat back, "yeah."

Simon, hands still manacled together (though, inexplicably, they were connected in the front while everyone else had been forced to have their shoulders wrenched by having their wrists cuffed behind them), gave Kaylee a comforting shoulder-bump. She smiled up at him.

Upon waking, Simon found he could barely move for all the soreness around his body. Especially his abdominal area. Kaylee had helped him sit up when she'd noticed him conscious, and with Zoe, they'd moved him to where everyone else was sitting in a loose circle.

He'd decided to wait until the end of their informal meeting before helping himself to any and all painkillers within reach.

"Mal," he said, the conversation having come to a depressed and hopeless silence, "what was it that, uh… that... the girl was saying when she was, y'know," he waved his bound hands at his own stomach, a myriad of bruises underneath his shirt, "I don't remember much of that."

"She kept callin' for River. Had the idea she was hiding in your head."

"Hiding in my head?"

Mal shrugged his shoulders, and winced when he did. Simon guessed he wasn't the only one who needed some aspirin. "The girl thinks River might be hiding in any one of us, actually." He looked around at all the glum faces. "So... anyone think they could be carryin' 'round a stowaway?"

Simon blinked in surprise at this suggestion, but immediately found himself considering it. But no, he didn't feel any different than usual, except for the pain, and that obviously wasn't caused by River being in him-- _if_ she was in him.

Inspired by the lack of ability to do anything else, Simon closed his eyes, and thought, clear as he could: _Rive_r? Trying not to feel too foolish, he added, _You in here_?

Only silence.

_River_?

He was sort of disappointed, because if River was going to hide in anybody, he thought she'd have picked him. "I don't think she's with me," he said aloud, opening his eyes.

"I don't think so either."

He jumped, they all jumped, but only he almost doubled over in pain from it. River was standing-- no, not River, definitely not River, but the thing that had taken over her body-- she was standing there on the other side of the glass, staring down at them.

Inara and Mal had told them that the last time they'd seen her, she'd been covered in food, but she had obviously changed and washed, because there was no evidence of any such thing. She looked how his little sister usually looked.

"No, I don't think she's in you Simon, not at all. But," she was moving while she talked, making her way towards the door, "that's not important right now, because guess what?"

A long pause met this. Mal was the one who finally answered. Simon himself could barely even bear to look at her, let alone talk to her. "What?"

"I have a name!"

"You do?"

"Yes," she said, almost childish sounding, pushing the door open, "I was going through River's memories, and--"

Simon looked up sharply.

"I found the perfect one. Earth, originated in 1877, from a ballet called _The Lake of Swans_," she suddenly smirked, "ah, you know what I chose don't you Simon? I see you're replaying a memory of when you were children and River made you watch it."

He stared at her, feeling violated. Stared at his little mei-mei's face, warped into such an arrogant visage that didn't belong. He spat: "You're Odile?"

"Odette!" she yelled, fists curling at her sides, "I'm Odette! Odette, Odette, Odette! You've completely ruined this moment for me Simon!"

"I've completely ruined this for _you?" _Simon repeated, incredulous. Angry. Very much angry. "What did you do to my sister to chase her out of her own body, you vile piece of trash!"

The boot-clad creature stepped close to their circle. Nearly everyone wriggled backwards in response.

She looked only at Simon, face still ugly from her anger. "I ate her."

"What? What does that--"

"Dissected, pulled-apart and absorbed her mind," she said. When Simon's face showed shock and disgust, she smiled nastily. "That was my colloquial way of explaining it, 'I ate her'. And I nearly got everything. A little bit managed to sneak out though, and now it's hiding in one of you." She pulled her eyes from Simon, looking at each of them. "And when Jayne gets back, we'll find out just who she's in."

Simon ripped his gaze from her, feeling nauseous. He didn't believe her, didn't want to believe her either. And the smug, self-satisfaction was too much.

"Enough. Everybody stand up," she said, "we're moving to the cargo bay to wait."

--

* * *

_tbc..._ _and favorites and alerts are awesome, but reviews are even better!_


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